Banewarrens d20 (Angelsboi's party)

[diaglo]

3 Evo7, 2 ftr9, cr8 undead, 13 ftr5

The other spellcaster tried to fly over the Bear. He didn't make it. The Bear ripped him from the sky. It cost him dearly. The mage had some fire surrounding him. Still the Bear held tight. The Bear tore into the elf. Even with his protective fire ring and skin of stone the Bear tore his head off. The two females stepped aside and finished the Bear. Fiddle backpedaled. He moved to protect Sully and the others. Darian knocked the spellcaster from the sky at the front entrance. He fell like a burning meteor to the Chasm floor. And Arendel finished off the last of the guards at the back. That left just the 2 females.

And then everyone was gone. Sully had cast another spell. The party was invisible.

The females approached Darian's ball of light. Darian and the ball attacked. One of the females charged. Fiddle scored a gash to her kidney. He and she weren't finished. The other drow squared off on Fiddle. He was trapped between the 2 of them. If only Fiddle knew for sure where Arendel was. If only Arendel or Sully could give him a hand and attack from the other side. He knew he could easily kill these drow. Still no sign of them. So Fiddle stepped back out of the danger and landed a few blows of his own.

And the drow came apart. There stood Arendel the Ape. He tore chunks from the elf maid. The other one felt Sully's magic bolts and Darian's mace. The fight was over.

"Hurry," Alya appeared riding a giant pack lizard. "We don't have much time. We must get out of here."

 

[diaglo]

Looking for trouble

Somewhere along the line Alya had purchased the human thrall from the mind flayer. His name was Erik. The bard also bought one of the pack lizards from D'nd.This was getting weirder and weirder.

Fiddle went to check the hallways for more reinforcements. None. However, he did find several doors. One was ajar. Barracks. 5 doors, 5 empty rooms. One had a spell trap from which Fiddle dodged away. Of the furnishings and items Fiddle only found paperwork. He quickly stuffed the parchments into his sack.

"Darian is casting a spell to get us out of here," Alya rounded the corner. "Come help me with the prison cells on the other hall."

Fiddle obliged. Erik was now wearing armor and carrying a rapier. He too helped.

Nothing of interest in the first 2 cells. Before they had a chance to open the third... A large fiery form appeared. It was reptilian and angry. It blocked the hall. It also had a mean spear in its claws.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Just wait 'till we get to the back story on Erik. The DM might need to write a brief interlude ...

And really, lest any readers think I'm a patsy DM, there's no reason the party should have survived this fight, especially since they kept taking actions that allowed the drow to bring in reinforcements. If it weren't for JoeBlank continuously making his Spell Resistance checks (coupled with that darned Sculpt Spell feat for his scintillating spheres) they would have been mopped up fairly quickly.

As it was, they were against the ropes at the point the bear went down. Calrom was out, Arendel and Fiddle were on their last few hit points, and Sully isn't much of a challeneg when he runs out of spells. Only Darian was still in fair fighting trim when the last black elf fell.

All in all, it was pretty remarkable.

 

[diaglo]

Noble Salamander and Nobler Earth

This being had a muscular humanoid upper body with a hawkish face. Its body was serpentine from the waist down, and was covered in red and black scales. Flame-shaped spines sprouted from the creature's back, arms, and head.

It towered over Erik, Fiddle and Alya and was easily the size of any Giant. The eyes showed signs of malicious intelligence. This one was used to giving orders and not taking any lip.

Fiddle ran clear and launched Hole Punch. He scored a nasty gash. Clearly it would take more than that.

Alya swore an oath, moved back, and fired his bow. The arrow struck home. Again another nasty wound. The creature bled fire. Erik stepped to the side and drew his rapier. He stabbed low. The creature responded with a thrust of his spear. It moved closer to Alya. Erik bled and burned.

Fiddle screamed for help and launched Hole Punch again. Calrom arrived and fired a volley of arrows into the Flame snake. Sully also appeared. Five bolts of magic splattered on the thing's hide. Alya fired another volley of arrows. The beast knocked Alya low. The kobold fell from the heat and wounds. Erik stabbed again and again but was soon overcome by the flames.

Fiddle prepared for the worst. Darian still needed time to complete his spell to get the party out of here. He threw Hole Punch once more. Another hit. Calrom rushed to Alya's side. He was just clear of the spear, but the ranger knew he was the next target. And then Sully saved the day.

Foudre

A ball of Lightning exploded behind the Flame thing. Puff it was gone.

Calrom poured a potion down Alya's throat. The kobold breathed. He survived. Erik too needed help. Spell upon spell upon spell was cast by Arendel and then Alya. The party was whole again. Though, no one wanted to fight another thing.

Sully reached out with his magic.

"Nothing," the gnome whispered. "We need to go further into the Underdark. I can't sense the faerzress."

"Not right now," Darian called. "I've negotiated a way out."

A large hunk of stone devoured the mithril armor from the drow. It began to open a hole in the ceiling. Fiddle touched the medallion he had and activated some magic. He floated upwards and dropped a rope down to the others. They followed the stone hulk to hopefully the surface. Arendel completed his spell and 4 smaller blocks of stone sealed the exit and tracks behind the party. Erik and the lizard tagged along with Alya.

 

[the Jester]

Damn, those drow were tough.

Olgar, keep up the good work.

You too, diaglo- I really enjoy this tale.

 

[diaglo]

In The light of Lathander a tale is told

The party trudged behind the stone creature for hours. It ate a way to the surface. Then the creature crumbled. And the party saw light. The light of Lathander.

A new dawn. And they were in a forest. Quickly, Fiddle, Calrom, and Arendel assessed the area. Cormanthyr. Not but a mile or two from Elven's Crossing. They were home. They were in Mistledale. Erik kissed the ground. He begged for paper and a quill. Darian obliged.

It was then Fiddle realized the Human thrall lacked a tongue. He listened as Darian read Erik's tale aloud. Erik was a warrior from another band of adventurers. The Company of the 11th Hour. They had been captured by the drow and enslaved. The spellcasters were slain outright. Bartol and Bernedette were still as far as Erik knew alive. And Bernedette was heavy with child.

The party decided to go to Ashabenford. Here they would rest and regroup and plan their next move. Arendel begged off. He went into the forest to say farewell to the Bear and to find a new friend. Alya hid among the packs on the lizard. Calrom had to help calm the animal. The open air was too much for the subterranean beast.

Upon nearing town, the Riders gave the party a good tonguelashing for all their strange doings. After a promise and a nod they were allowed on their merryway.

The White Hart Inn was a welcome sight. Darian sent word thru Lathander's magic to Randal Morn.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

One year earlier ...

The drow woman sneered as the snivelling elf rogue beat a hasty retreat to the surface. Surface dwellers, always so weak.

"Search the others, and determine what they carry and how many live. Nightscale will want a tribute."

Her minions rapidly searched the party of surface raiders, determining that though some were close to death's door, all still retained some grip on life. The remaining wizard brought those things that retained magical auras to her, among them a great bastard sword whose runes named Glorytongue in the surface dialect, and a curious floating spellbook.

"Nightscale will be pleased with this tribute. Feed him the dwarf as well, lest he get hungry. Strip the rest, and bind them to the pack lizards. We'll deliver them to the slave market at Szith Morcane."

----

Erik awoke in the pitch dark. He was weak and woozy, but he lived, though his armor and his sword Glorytongue had been stripped from him. Some creature was trying to push a waterskin into his mouth, speaking in some unintelligible tongue.

Suddenly the area was lit with a blast of arcane fire, to reveal Thane standing surrounded by dark elves, stripped to his loincloth, but cradling balls of fire in each hand. The flames burst on one of the shorter males, as a female with a double sword sneaked up behind Thane and bashed him back into unconsciousness.

The bard -- what was his name again? -- attempted to begin a chant, but the drow woman gleefull spun, slicing through the bard's windpipe with one blade of her sword, then severing his head with the second.

"Resistance is useless, surface scum, " the drow woman hissed in accented common. "Cooperate, and live as slaves, or die now!" Turning to her minions holding Thane, she said: "That one obviously retains some sorcerous powers, even without a spellbook. Slit his throat!"

The deed was quickly carried out, and as the drow began to pack up their belongings, Thane's blood pooled beneath him on the cool stone of the passage.

In the light of the fading wizard's fire, Erik could see Bartol sheltering Bernadette, who was huddled next to the barbarian for warmth and protection. Erik and Bartol's eyes met, and Bartol gave a brief shake of his head. Not now, another time. We are too weak, yet.

---

Days, perhaps weeks, passed. Time was impossible to determine during their long trek in the pitch blackness. They would periodically stop and be given mosses and water, but otherwise exsitence was an endless black night from which the stars had been erased.

Finally, though, they emerged into a phosphorescent fungi-lit chamber that was clustered about with all manner of strange subterrenean creatures. Blinking his eyes against the sudden glare -- what would have been the light of at best a full moon seemed high noon after the long trek in the darkness -- Erik could see their captor bartering with some fish-men and a strange purple humanoid with a tentacled head and pupilless eyes.

Bartol and Bernadette sat on the ground next to Erik, looking pale and haggard, thinned from the days of short rations. Bernadette's lower belly was bulging -- perhaps the result of their celebration months before? Bartol's beard was wild and unkempt, and appeared to steel himself for some readied action.

Soon the drow woman returned, followed by a fish man and the purple tentacled thing. The preisoners' chains were separated.

"Good news," she hissed in her accented Common, "you get to live another day. But perhaps only that, tall one, since Ooltul here has a liking for fresh brains! The Kuo-toa get the bearded one to serve in their temple, and you, sweet thing, shall raise your child to be a thrall of Lloth in the blessed city of Maerimydra." She cackled, and began leading Bernadette away, handing Erik's chains to the purple thing, and Bartol's to the fish men.

Bartol lunged against his chains, trying to reach Bernadette. "Bartol, wait!" Erik shouted, attempting to wrest free of his chains -- but Bartol was quickly beaten into unconsciousness.

"Feisty," came the bubbling voice of the purple thing. "Perhaps I will not feast on you yet -- you have the strength to carry some things back to Messazine for me. But that grating, surface voice! Something must be done about it!!

Smooth, cool hands grabbed Erik's head roughly, forcing his mouth open and pulling his tongue so hard he thought it would snap from his jaw. There was sudden pain ...

As he collapsed into darkness, he heard: "Silly slave. I'll let you live this day; I'll probably just suck your brain in the morning."

He was to hear that same phrase from his master each day for nearly a year. "Silly slave. I'll let you live this day; I'll probably just suck your brain in the morning."

 

[biorph]

So did Erik end up becoming the Dread Illithid Pirate Roberts?

 

[diaglo]

Beam me up Sully

"Rise and shine, Fiddle," Darian bellowed as he threw open the curtains. "Greet the Glorious Morning Light."

"Oooooo, where is teh dooo daaddd?" Fiddle grunted. "I need a cure for this swollen tongue o' mine."

Fiddle had partied late into the night at the WHite Hart. He had so many tales to tell and not just to Erik. It was a shame Erik couldn't talk, but Fiddle more than made up for him.

"We're going to Glen," Darian continued. "Sully has a new spell he'd like to try."

Fiddle perked up. "A new spell? Will it make me taller, stronger, faster, smarter, happier...."

"No, Fiddle," Sully cut in. "It will take us to places we have been before."

"I'm in." Fiddle jumped up and grabbed his things.

"I've also marked a few of you with another spell," Sully continued. "That way if we are separated and unsure of each other the mark will show the truth."

"We've been Sullied?" Calrom exclaimed.

Everyone laughed.

Alya was to remain in Ashabenford. Arendel was still in the woods. Erik stayed behind with Alya. So Calrom, Darian, and Fiddle joined hands with Sully.


The next thing Fiddle saw were the Gates of Glen. He jumped up and down.

"Hello in the Town," Fiddle yelled.

"Come in," the dwarven guard called back. "The gates are open."

 

[diaglo]

Ale and Whores: a true adventurer's life

Darian, Fiddle, Sully, and Calrom went inside. The place looked a shambles in comparison to their last visit. Some of the buildings were boarded up. And the dwarves themselves didn't look as clean kept nor cheery. In fact, it looked like Glen had seen some hard times. The Scheppen family bookbinding business was closed. The first stop for the party was the Smithy.

Darian and Fiddle negoiated a commission on their things. Darian handed over 2 of the drow bucklers and 2 sets of their mithril armor. While Fiddle paid in trade bars. Fiddle stripped off his new armor and handed over his buckler.

Fiddle also told of the death of Dorek the Rogue. The Armorsmith cursed the fallen thief. It was his doing that had caused the death of so many good dwarves at the maw of the Dragon. The Smith spat again.

Fiddle then went to the Weaponsmith with Calrom. He again tried to commission some work. This dwarf was very depressed. It wasn't until Fiddle dropped a bucket load of platinum and bars in his lap that he even got a response. Calrom wasn't so lucky getting work performed on his bow.

It seemed the gem mines.. in fact all the mines of Glen were closed. A spirit or thing of evil lurked below. And there wasn't enough warriors left due to the failed Dragon expedition. Fiddle promised to talk with the others later about it.

Sully, Calrom, and Darian bid farewell to Fiddle as they were bound for Tilverton by way of Sully's new spell. Fiddle still had one more thing to accomplish in Glen.

He found what he sought at the Ringing Hammer. The next 12 days were a blur for Fiddle. Although, at some point during that time Sully and Calrom visited him in a dream.

Fiddle alone was responsible for the recovery of at least part of the economy of Glen. He spent almost 500gp on Ale and WHores, a true adventurer's life.